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Dora The Explorer
"Dora the Explorer" arrived on the scene in 2000, the series about an adventurous bilingual Latina and her animal friends proved so popular it has grossed billions of dollars. The popularity of the show proves that girls and boys of all ethnic groups will readily embrace Latino characters. It has already paved the way for another animated show with a Latino protagonist,"Go Diego Go",which features Dora's cousin. -
Colin Powell Becomes Secretary of State
George W. Bush appointed Colin Powell Secretary of State in 2001. Powell was the first African American to serve in the role. A moderate in a conservative administration, Powell often clashed with other members of the Bush administration. -
Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001 left nearly 3,000 people dead. Because those responsible for the attacks were from the Middle East, Arab Americans came under intense scrutiny in the U.S. and continue to be today. Arguments arose over whether Arabs in America should be racially profiled.Today, xenophobia against individuals from Muslim nations remains high -
Halle Berry and Denzel Washington Win Oscars
At the 74th Academy Awards, Halle Berry and Denzel Washington made history by winning Oscars for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively.While many were elated by the groundbreaking wins of Berry and Washington, some in the African-American community expressed dismay that the actors won Oscars for portraying less than admirable characters. -
Angelina Jolie Puts International Adoption in the Spotlight
When Angelina Jolie adopted her Cambodian son and went on to adopt a daughter from Ethiopia and another son from Vietnam, she actually influenced the public to follow suit. Adoptions of children in countries such as Ethiopia by Westerners went up. Later Madonna would make headlines for adopting two children from another African nation--Malawi. -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina touched down in southeastern Louisiana Aug. 29, 2005. One of the deadliest hurricanes in American history, Katrina took more than 1,800 lives.Many of those left behind were poor and black, and President George W. Bush and his administration were criticized for not taking swift action because impoverished African Americans were apparently not a priority to them. -
Rallies for Immigrants Take Place Nationwide
Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, America remains divided over the surge of immigrants into the country in recent decades.Each year on May 1, rallies continue to be held in support of immigrants, arguably making immigration the civil rights issue of the millennium. -
Barack Obama Wins Presidential Election
Running on a platform of change, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama wins the 2008 presidential election to become the first person of African descent chosen to run the United States. Considering that African Americans were previously denied the right to vote, forcibly segregated from whites and enslaved in the United States, Obama’s successful presidential bid marked a turning point for the nation. -
Disney Releases First Film With Black Princess
“The Princess and the Frog” was Disney’s first with a black heroine. Some members of the African American community objected to the fact that Princess Tiana’s love interest, Prince Naveen, wasn’t black; that Tiana remained a frog for much of the film rather than a black woman; and that the film portrayed Voodoo negatively. -
Sonia Sotomayor Becomes First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice
The election of Barack Obama as president of the United States paved the way for other people of color to break ground in politics.On Aug. 6, 2009, Sotomayor became the first Hispanic judge and the third woman to sit on the court. Her appointment to the court also marks the first time judges from two minority groups,African American and Latino,have served on the court together.
